Farmer Turns 4 Acres Of Organic Turmeric Into A Booming Business

GANDHINAGAR-A 70-year-old farmer in Surendranagar district has turned turmeric cultivation on four acres into an annual income of around Rs 10-11 lakh by processing the crop into powder, pickle and other products instead of selling it as raw produce.

Kalubhai Patel of Vadod village in Wadhwan taluka owns 10 acres of land and has been practicing natural farming on four acres for the past 13-14 years.

Patel took up natural farming after seeing a farmer cultivate turmeric using natural methods at an agricultural fair in Kagvad. He initially cultivated turmeric on one acre of fallow land before gradually expanding it to four acres.

He later set up a home-based processing unit at a cost of around Rs 5 lakh, equipped with a steam boiler, polishing machine and pulveriser. The Horticulture Department provided him with assistance of Rs 2.5 lakh for the unit.

Instead of boiling the turmeric in water, Patel steams it before drying it for about a month. The turmeric is then cleaned and ground into powder. He also prepares green turmeric pickle and turmeric mouth freshener.

With the help of his family, Patel packs the products at home and sells them under the brand name ‘Shakti Organic’.

While raw turmeric fetches around Rs 150 per kg in the market, Patel sells his turmeric powder at Rs 350 per kg and green turmeric pickle at Rs 440 per kg.

His GOPCA-certified organic products are sold largely through word-of-mouth rather than advertising.

Patel also practices crop diversification, growing short-duration crops such as moong, sesame and pearl millet after the eight-month turmeric crop.

On the remaining six acres, he grows cotton with pigeon pea as an intercrop. Pigeon pea helps add nitrogen to the soil, reducing the need for urea, while Patel uses a solution prepared from aak leaves as a source of potassium.

He said these farming practices have helped increase the organic carbon content of his soil to 0.94 per cent.

“Natural farming is nature; nurturing soil with care is culture,” Patel said, highlighting natural farming, soil conservation and value addition as ways to strengthen farmers’ incomes.

The Gujarat government has recognized Patel with Best Farmer Awards at the taluka, district and state levels. He has also received honors from Junagadh Agricultural University and Dantiwada Agricultural University.

Patel has also developed an automatic sowing machine, combining traditional farming practices with innovation and scientific methods. (IANS)